“Baby’s Gotten Good at Goodbye”
George Strait
Written by Tony Martin and Troy Martin
Radio & Records
#1 (1 week)
March 10, 1989
Billboard
#1 (1 week)
April 1, 1989
In one sense, it feels reductive to claim that the best No. 1 hit of George Strait’s record-breaking total of No. 1 hits came so early in his career.
But let’s get real. The only reason it came early in his career was because he kept going for another three decades. In anyone else’s career, this would’ve been a signature hit that came at the peak of a solid run at country radio. Strait’s multiple Entertainer of the Year trophies in 1989-1990 would’ve signaled that a decline was near for anyone else, but Strait was just getting started.
What made him so different that he lasted for so much longer than all of his peers? You can hear the answer to that question in “Baby’s Gotten Good at Goodbye.” It’s an extraordinary song to begin with, capturing a man who is slowly realizing that this time, his baby might really be gone. It has one of the greatest openings ever: “What a rotten day this turned out to be. I still can’t believe she’d leave so easily.”
In just those two lines, you can hear his sadness, his disbelief, and his struggle with facing this unexpected pain is undercut by his begrudging acceptance of his own culpability. He’s wondering why this happened to him now, when he’s been such a louse for so long, but he has no choice but to recognize that he’s been pushing her away for far too long and now it might be too late to make it right.
It’s a quintessential George Strait song, giving the words to men that they can’t find on their own, and giving hope to women that this is what is going on behind the eyes with their own men who can’t find the words on their own. The emotions are so specific and perfectly articulated that the song never loses its impact with repeated listens.
Some of Strait’s very best singles, from “Amarillo By Morning” through “The Troubadour,” never made it to No. 1. But of his fifty plus singles that did, this one is the very best.
“Baby’s Gotten Good at Goodbye” gets an A.
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I’ve always thought this was a pleasant enough song but have never considered it a standout. Strait maneuvers the lyrics and shifting melodic pace nicely, but the only parts that genuinely grab my ear are the opening duo of lines from the chorus. The narrator has a more complex role here than in S-K-O’s “Baby’s Got a New Baby Now”, but at least for me, the production and vocal of the latter result in a greater payoff. I’m guessing few here will agree with me on that. Certainly no disrespect for George here but this is a song that offers only mild rewards for me.
Grade: B
I completely agree and this is one of my favorite GS singles. The album from which it came is also my favorite GS album as they finally did away with the 80’s sheen to the singles and made a diverse but hardcore country record. I don’t think the singles were among GS all time greatest but the record as a whole holds up extremely well.
Another amazing classic, both from George and from 1989. This is my favorite 80’s Strait song.